The beautiful green comet Lemmon

Everybody's talking about the promising ISON comet, but there's some others that worth a look this year. One of these is the rare green fluorescent comet Lemmon.

I've never saw before such a greenish comet and apparently, this hue is due to the coma's diatomic C2 gas fluorescing in sunlight:

Currently sweeping through southern skies, Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) was named for its discovery last year as part of the Mount Lemmon (Arizona) Survey. Brighter than expected but still just below naked-eye visibility,

Comet Lemmon sports a stunning lime green coma and faint divided tail in this telescopic image from February 4. The greenish tint comes from the coma's diatomic C2 gas fluorescing in sunlight.

Captured from an observatory near Sydney, Australia, the color composite is constructed from a series of individual exposures registered on the comet. Across the 1 degree wide field of view, the star trails are a consequence of the comet's relatively rapid motion against the background of stars near the South Celestial Pole.

Moving north, the comet should grower brighter, reaching a peak (3rd magnitude or so) when it is closest to the Sun in late March. By early April it should be visible from the northern hemisphere.

Of course, this year Comet Lemmon may be just another pretty comet as skygazers on planet Earth also eagerly anticipate views of Comet PANSTARRS and Comet ISON.

Source: APOD

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"I took the picture using a 41 cm (16 in) Meade reflector," says Drummond. "It is a stack of twenty 1 minute exposures." That much time was required for a good view of the comet's approximately 7th-magnitude coma ("coma"=cloud of gas surrounding the comet's nucleus).

Imaged by John Drummond, who sends this picture from Gisborne, New Zealand.

Those pics make it look like its traveling at warp speed. LoL

Originally posted by andy06shake
Those pics make it look like its traveling at warp speed. LoL

edit on 7-2-2013 by andy06shake because: (no reason given)

Do you know why? The Camera on a scope is moving along relative with the comet in a long exposure. The background stars a so much further away they make the comet appear to moving fast but only in that long exposure.

With a naked eye view even though the comet is probably speeding along at 40,000kph or more it looks stationary.

If you knew this then it is for anyone else who was curious, as there is a big misconception that comets zip across the sky like a shooting star.

I hope for clear skies this weekend to get to see it in my scope!

reply to post by abeverage


I did think that exposure time was a factor in the pics. Does resemble Star Trek's warp speed through.

reply to post by elevenaugust


Cleary..this isn't a comet.



Coincidence?

I think not.



On a serious note, that's really beautiful.

~Tenth

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by elevenaugust

 

Cleary..this isn't a comet.

Coincidence?

I think not.

On a serious note, that's really beautiful.

~Tenth

What is that Tenth???

Originally posted by andy06shake
reply to post by abeverage

 

I did think that exposure time was a factor in the pics. Does resemble Star Trek's warp speed through.

edit on 7-2-2013 by andy06shake because: (no reason given)

Heck yeah it does! I wonder if we will ever see that or hyper drive or folded space I want to go to another planet this one is to many crazies LOL

reply to post by abeverage


Ah damn, I was hoping yall would get it.

Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time, it's one of the goddesses.

~Tenth

It will soon turn a bluish color, keep your eyes on it.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by abeverage

 

Ah damn, I was hoping yall would get it.

Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time, it's one of the goddesses.

~Tenth

Ah duh...Sometimes you see something and it looks different with no reference I knew it was someone in a shooting star like thing

reply to post by tothetenthpower


No worries tenth, I heard the music in my head, and imagined smashing pots with my sword as soon as I saw it. Awhhhhh, memories of better days..

Wow, beautiful. I could look at space imagery all day, honestly. That and imagery of large waves. I agree that it does make me think of Farore. Which brought back some very happy memories. I need to go dig out my 3DS and replay the port of Ocarina. (Not that that's more important or relevant than this image.)

Peace.

reply to post by elevenaugust


Nice find elevenaugust with this Celestial object as well as PANSTARRS and Comet ISON as shared it should be a pretty interesting year for Cosmic observers.
1 must admit from first observations the OP
(violets)Nan ga sohu and the Purifier(rose) no doom but did come to mind.
Still nice find enjoyed and thanks for the update.

NAMASTE
LOVE LIGHT ETERNIA*******

This is beautiful! Thanks for the heads up!
I'll be keeping an eye out for it when it reaches this part of the world in April.

I love it's name, Comet Lemmon...very cool

Shouldn't Comet Lemmon be yellow?

I'm sorry....someone HAD to say it!

This is really cool. I am looking forward to when it is visible in the northern hemishphere. Thanks for posting!

Originally posted by abeverage
I hope for clear skies this weekend to get to see it in my scope!

It is currently rather close to the south celestial pole, and thus is visible all night from places like Australia.

From my suburban location, (if you have a star map and know where to look) it is easy to see in small binoculars.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by elevenaugust

 

Cleary..this isn't a comet.

Coincidence?

I think not.

On a serious note, that's really beautiful.

~Tenth

No no no, silly....

It's not that.


It's this:

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by abeverage
I hope for clear skies this weekend to get to see it in my scope!

It is currently rather close to the south celestial pole, and thus is visible all night from places like Australia.

From my suburban location, (if you have a star map and know where to look) it is easy to see in small binoculars.

Yeah I am too far north to see it...figures...